Allegations of preferential treatment have surfaced regarding the hiring process of a professor at Incheon National University, particularly within the Department of Urban Engineering. In a recent report obtained by a Democratic Party member's office, it was revealed that during the first round of interviews for a faculty position, the candidate who ranked first was given an uncharacteristically low score, while a candidate who had ranked fourth ultimately secured the position. The circumstances surrounding these scoring decisions raised questions, especially when the top-ranked candidate received the lowest marks despite passing initial evaluations regarding their specialization.

Further examination of the interview process detailed in the meeting minutes suggests that the interviewers may have been biased against the top-ranked candidate due to their specific field of expertise. One professor reportedly questioned the suitability of the candidate's submitted papers, suggesting that their work did not align with their stated specialization. Complications arose as it was found that this candidate had been deemed appropriate in terms of specialization during preliminary evaluations. This led to heightened scrutiny over the integrity of the hiring procedures at the university.

Moreover, the candidate who was eventually hired is now facing separate allegations of collusion regarding the scoring of interviews for incoming students in the same department. Discussions among interviewers suggest that there were attempts to manipulate the scoring system to favor certain applicants, indicating a broader culture of malfeasance within the hiring practices at Incheon National University. These revelations, if proven, could signal significant administrative and legal repercussions for the university, prompting calls for a thorough investigation into the validity of hiring processes across educational institutions in South Korea.